
Lysias, the Roman commander of the gar-
rison, and his soldiers; Ananias, the Jew-
ish high priest; Sadducees and Pharisees;
Paul's nephew; Jewish plotters; Felix, the
Roman governor.
Interesting Terms:
"Chief captain of the
band." The original word means the com-
mander of a thousand men, the sixth part
of a legion, corresponding approximately
in rank to a major in a modern army.
"The castle." A stronghold adjoining the
temple, built by Herod the Great to keep
the restless Jews under guard, and named
in honor of Mark Antony.
"Murderers." The word in the original
means "dagger men," designating bands
of Jews who organized themselves into
groups pledged to assassination whenever
they thought this might help to break
Roman control of Palestine.
"Scourging." A brutal punishment com-
mon in the past, and used by the Romans
upon non-Roman culprits. The scourge was
a whip made of several leather thongs at-
tached to a wooden handle, with bits of
metal or bone fastened in the thongs.
"Council." The Jewish Sanhedrin, or sen-
ate, numbering approximately seventy men,
with the high priest presiding.
Interview With the Brethren
1.
To whom did Paul present him-
self at Jerusalem? Acts 21:17, 18.
2.
What did the brethren propose
to Paul, and why? Acts 21:19-25.
NOTE.—"The Jewish Christians living
within sight of the temple naturally al-
lowed their minds to revert to the peculiar
privileges of the Jews as a nation. When
they saw the Christian church departing
from the ceremonies and traditions of
Judaism, and perceived that the peculiar
sacredness with which the Jewish customs
had been invested would soon be lost sight
of in the light of the new faith, many
grew indignant with Paul as the one who
had, in a large measure, caused this change.
Even the disciples were not all prepared
to accept willingly the decision of the
council. Some were zealous for the cere-
monial law, and they regarded Paul with
disfavor because they thought that his
principles in regard to the obligations of
the Jewish law were
lax."—The Acts of
the Apostles,
page 197.
3.
How did Paul proceed in the
ritual of purification? Acts 21:26, 27
(first part).
NorE.—"He felt that if he could by any
lawful concession on his part win them
to the truth, he would remove a very
great obstacle to the success of the gospel
in other places. But he was not authorized
of God to concede so much as they had
asked. This concession was not in harmony
with his teachings, nor with the firm in-
tegrity of his character. His advisers were
not infallible. Though some of these men
wrote under the inspiration of the Spirit
of God, yet when not under its direct
influence they sometimes erred. It will be
remembered that on one occasion Paul
withstood Peter to the face because he
was acting a double part. . . .
"Instead of accomplishing the desired
object, these efforts for conciliation only
precipitated the crisis, hastened the pre-
dicted sufferings of Paul, separated him
from his brethren in his labors, deprived
the church of one of its strongest pillars,
and brought sorrow to Christian hearts in
every land."—E. G. White,
Sketches From
the Life of Paul,
pages 213, 214.
The Riot
4.
What happened when Jews from
Asia saw Paul in the temple? Acts
21:27 (last part), 28-31.
NOTE.—"With the fury of demons they
rushed upon him, crying, 'Men of Israel,
help: This is the man, that teacheth all
men everywhere against the people, and
the law, and this place.' And as the people
responded to the call for help, another ac-
cusation was added—`and further brought
Greeks also into the temple, and hath
polluted this holy place.'
"By the Jewish law it was a crime pun-
ishable with death for an uncircumcised
person to enter the inner courts of the
[29]